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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29451840">Ambient</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/possums/pseuds/possums'>possums</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, Naruto</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Loneliness, M/M, Overthinking, Pining, Possibly Unrequited Love</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 18:55:15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,223</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29451840</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/possums/pseuds/possums</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Boruto is used to his busy life, he's used to his schedule. Mitsuki is always throwing him off though.<br/>—</p>
<p>Boruto worries about his feelings for Mitsuki and if they will be accepted.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Mitsuki/Uzumaki Boruto</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>54</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Ambient</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was strange to return to his house when no one was home. Boruto says hello to no one, he flips the lights on so it wouldn’t be dark when his father got home and he headed to his room.</p>
<p>He wasn’t used to this; to the silence of his home. Normally he could hear his sister going about her evening, his mother washing dishes, later at night he could sometimes hear his parents discussing things (although he couldn't ever make out what it was)</p>
<p>Tonight— the only sound he heard was the occasional bark of a dog in the distance. He didn’t like being home when it was like this— his mind wandered too freely.</p>
<p>He decides to go for a walk.</p>
<p>The quiet peaceful evenings in Konoha, he had to admit, were sometimes rather nice. The setting sun cast long shadows across the ground, the shops were starting to illuminate the sidewalk.</p>
<p>Boruto sighs, he figured he would stop by Thunder Burger, and then head home. His mother and sister were out of town, visiting his grandfather. And, after they had finished a simple mission earlier, Konoha’s new Team 7 had split up to do their own thing. Sarada and Sakura were probably sharing a meal.</p>
<p>He thinks for a moment, about causing trouble for his father, it had been a while since he got a rise out of his old man— but then again, since the Chūnin Exams and that aftermath, he had tried to be better.</p>
<p>A better son, a better ninja, sometimes the lines felt blurred, and while he tried now to pretend he understood it all, he didn't get the appeal of giving up a family, and friends, and leisure for a job like that.</p>
<p>Could he ever live up to expectations though, if he didn’t follow in those footsteps, he ponders and then pauses, a chill running down his spine as he feels a hand on his shoulder. And then he relaxes, as the familiar voice speaks up.</p>
<p>“You’ve got a rather sour look on your face, Boruto”</p>
<p>Mitsuki was like that, he just appeared at times, as if he knew exactly what Boruto was thinking, and the hokage’s son laughs softly.</p>
<p>“Ah it’s nothing” he insists as casually as possible. He didn’t talk about that kind of thing. Everyone in the leaf knew him as lord seventh’s bratty oldest child, he had appearances to keep up, and an identity crisis about his past behavior wasn’t any part of that, but still, he felt calmed, strangely, by Mitsuki’s presence.</p>
<p>They walk then, side by side without another comment for a while. “Are your parents not making food tonight” Mitsuki inquires, curiously. Boruto wonders if his strange friend was curious about any fights that may have happened.</p>
<p>“Hm, Oh , Mom and Himawari aren't in town” it was casual enough, and it was true. He was never sure what to think though with Mitsuki, and maybe thats what he found so compelling.</p>
<p>Everyone else in his peer group he had known since childhood, Konoha’s youth were a tight knit group. The security the leaf had after its last shinobi war was a pleasant place to raise children, the baby boom had left him no lack of playmates as a child.</p>
<p>He was rarely surprised by any of them, unless something really strange came up. But he couldn’t quite get his brain wrapped around Mitsuki, there was something almost fun about that though, and he couldn’t deny, their quickly formed friendship interested him.</p>
<p>The rest of the route to Thunder Burger was filled with lackluster talk. Boruto didn’t want to open up too much, so instead he fills the time talking about how he really thought that they could use a mission with some more excitement than just escorting a non-nin to the border between the land of fire and the land of water.</p>
<p>Mitsuki listens, that wasn’t unusual though, maybe Boruto thinks, he was starting to truly understand the strange pale ninja.</p>
<p>The restaurant was relatively full, and instead of their normal booth they end up at one tucked into a corner. It felt solitary and intimate and Boruto wasn’t really too sure about that, but he sits down and digs into his burger anyways.</p>
<p>“Konoha is very busy,” Mitsuki says unwrapping his burger and glancing at it as if he wasn’t sure what to expect (Boruto always ordered first; and Mitsuki would order the exact same thing)</p>
<p>Boruto is suprised by what Mitsuki claimed. He was used to the hustle and bustle, the sound of the streets, the radio, the television. The sounds when they were out and about, talking, and his other friends too there conversations were also the background noise. “Is it?” He asks with a soft laugh, he was unsure where this was going really.</p>
<p>“Yes.”</p>
<p>Boruto laughs a bit more, awkwardly this time. He wasn’t sure what his friend was getting at and ‘yes’ didn’t really help. “I guess i’m just used to it.”</p>
<p>“You like being busy don’t you Boruto?” Mitsuki rests his chin on the back of his hands, giving Boruto a soft look, like he usually did whenever they talked like this.</p>
<p>“Well I guess” he gives in, taking a bite of his burger. “Who likes being bored.” he insists— deflecting a bit. Looking away. The soft look Mitsuki always gave him whenever he thought he had the blonde boy figured out, it made Boruto’s heart race a bit.</p>
<p>No one else in his life would have worded it that way. Sarada may have made a comment about how in the evening like this, dinner at the Thunder Burger was always a bit busier than the afternoon. And that would have been it. Shikadai might have commented on how nice it was when the leaf actually did get peace and quiet. Chocho would have had a story to tell— these were all things he expected.</p>
<p>And no one would ask him, so softly about his busy life.</p>
<p>He realizes he has to change the subject, “Do you think the pay from this mission will be good, maybe you can lend me some to buy some more cards, my mom’s really been getting on me about that, spending all my money on cards” he laughs light heartedly, anything to get that soft look to something else.</p>
<p>The rest of the night at Thunder Burger was like that, he talked about ninja missions, about cards, about how ridiculous it was that lord seventh was probably having a cup ramen right about then.</p>
<p>He eats his burger and fries, and then half of Mitsuki’s fries as well, this was tradition by now really. And the entire evening it’s just them, the booths around them filled with strangers, any eavesdropping not worth his time.</p>
<p>His mind wanders as he thinks about how he should probably go home soon, but then he remembers how quiet his home is. And then something dawns on him. Mitsuki probably wasn’t as used to the noise as he was.</p>
<p>Mitsuki only had the sound of distant neighbors, and maybe, depending on the evening the meow of a cat. Mitsuki he realises, rarely started tangential conversations about something that didn’t matter. He rarely told stories about his days off, he was more used to listening.</p>
<p>He had never thought about that before. “Do you dislike it when it's busy?” He asks curiously, making Mitsuki pause, as if confused or surprised to have his question turned back on him, but then he closes his eyes and smiles softly</p>
<p>“I like being busy with you, Boruto” he says. Once upon a time this would have made him overthink, but now it just brought a furious blush to his face. He isn’t sure how to reply, he knows though how he feels.</p>
<p>He realized that during Mitsuki’s short holiday being a rouge-nin; realized how much he relied on his team member, he realized how strongly he felt about him.</p>
<p>“We ought to get going, my dad will tell my mom if I get home after he does.” He changes the topic again. Standing up, collecting the trash in the table to throw away.</p>
<p>“I wonder if my parent wonders what time I get home at night. '' It was always strange when Mitsuki brought up Orochimaru and Boruto never really knew how to reply properly. Any of his other friends he would insist there parents did but Mitsuki lived alone and his experience was unique.</p>
<p>He wonders suddenly if he brought it up in a way to extend their conversation, he wonders if Mitsuki was secretly lonely. “Would you like to come over, i don't think my dad would even notice and if he did I don’t think he’d care”</p>
<p>Mitsuki’s thinks for a moment. “I think I ought to go home to my own apartment. I didn’t leave any food out for Mikazuki”</p>
<p>Boruto is almost disappointed, and he says little more but goodbye as they leave the restaurant and head home. He had expected Mitsuki’s to say yes, they were at times practically attached at the hip, he thought for sure that his friend would agree.</p>
<p>He didn’t want to show how disappointed he was though, and struggles for a moment to figure it all out. “Would you mind if i came over?” He asks, it wasn’t that Boruto was afraid of being alone, it was that he was thinking too much today.</p>
<p>“If you would like too, Boruto” he says with a smile, although then he looks a bit confused “Although, wouldn’t your parents be worried about you?” Its a rather hollow question and Boruto shrugs it off, casually.</p>
<p>“Eh, if my folks were that worried about it they wouldn’t have left me home alone” he insists, he would brush it off now and accept the scolding he got later, it wasn’t like it was the first time.</p>
<p>“Didn’t you just say” Mitsuki starts, but Boruto cuts him off.</p>
<p>“Don’t worry about it. Let my old man tell my mom, its fine” He would deal with the consequences later, it wouldn’t be pleasant but perhaps it would be worth it.</p>
<p>He folds his arms behind his head as he walks, not sure what to say so he contributes to the silence that was bothering him as he follows his pale friend to the apartment building he resided at.</p>
<p>Being ninja they dont enter the building normally, and instead leap, gracefully, onto the small balcony. Mitsuki lets them in through the glass door then. The apartment is rather dark, lit only through the door they had walked in through and a small window. Boruto hadn’t been here often, and at first he found the empty, poorly decorated space… sterile— but now he was comforted by it, it was something familiar and unchanging.</p>
<p>Boruto finds his face flushing red as he sees the familiar photo of himself on Mitsuki’s bed. He struggled to figure out, was Mitsuki pining too, or was his best friend just odd? His thoughts are interrupted though, by the meow of a tiny tuxedo cat.</p>
<p>Mitsuki smiles a bit, turning to go to his cabinet and get out a small bag of cat food, to fill up a small bowl. Even that was done in the same careful, meticulous way the pale ninja did everything. Boruto was not very good at just watching though, he struggled to observe without offering his perspective, but he stays quiet now.</p>
<p>He watches the little cat eat its dinner, feeling the slight breeze from the sliding door being open. He listens to the sounds of the leaf, closing his eyes for a minute. “Boruto, are you feeling tired?” He hears, which makes him snap his eyes open, he glances down and then away.</p>
<p>“Ah-hah, maybe just a bit” he laughs softly, awkwardly, he was overthinking again, the clean apartment and its white noise not enough to distract him. He strains his brain to think of something to ask— could he ask Mitsuki about the sky? Boruto's pale friend was frequently calling him the sun, he opens his mouth, as if to ask before he realized that maybe he didn’t want to know the answer; he had taken that phrase as meaning something to him and if that was suddenly proven wrong…</p>
<p>He shakes it off, sighing a bit. “Ah on second thought i think I ought to head home before my old man gets there” he tries to sound jovial but once again he’s worried, the overthinking backing him into a corner of considering what if they truly were just friends.</p>
<p>Mitsuki looks confused, but just for a moment before he closes his eyes and gives a small nod. “Okay, Boruto. Walk home safely.”</p>
<p>And that was that. He walked home, trying to focus on the noise, and when he got home he turned on his handheld console setting it in bed next to him, he didn't want to play— besides if he got too far a head Shikadai and Inojin would scold him for being impatient. But he wanted the noise, so he leaves the menu on— listening to the tinny-recording loop as he tries to relax to sleep.</p>
<p>Maybe tomorrow he could feel normal again, perhaps then he would be able to think more about how to handle what he felt.</p>
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